Automatic carton closing machine



Aug. 13, 1968 w. LOVELAND ET AL Re. 26,440

AUTOMATIC CARTON CLOSING MACHINE 13 Sheets-Sheet l Original FiLed Aug. 24, 1962 s a uw Si @i 13 Sheets-Sheet 2 W. I OVELAND ET AL AUTOMATIC CARTON CLOSING MACHINE VLPFNI C Q. LRQ SQ.. Q .IJ u Tn l.. 9

Aug. 13, 1968 Original Filed Aug. 24.

Aug. I3, 1968 w. Low-:LAND ET Al. Re. 26,440

AUTOMATIC CARTON CLOSING MACHINE 13 Sheets-Sheet 5 @riginal Filed Aug. 24. 1962 Aug. 13, 1968 w. L ovELAND ET AL. Re. 26,440

AUTOMATIC CARTON CLOSING MACHINE riginal Piied Aug. 24, 1962 l5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Aug. 13, 1968 w. LovELANn ET AL Re. 26,440

AUTOMATIC CARTON CLOSING MACHINE )riginal Filed Aug. 24. 1962 13 Sheets-Sheet 5 Aug. 13, 1968 w. LovELAND ET AL Re. 26,440

AUTOMATIC CARTON CLOSING MACHINE l5 Sheets-Sheet 6 FIG. .9

Driginal Filed Aug. 24, 1962 EET Aug. 13, 1968 w. LOVELAND ETAL R 26,440

AUTOMATIC CARTON CLOSING MACHINE Original Filed Aug. 24, 1962 13 Sheets-Sheet 7 Aug. 13, 1968 w1 LQVELAND ET AL Re. 26,440

AUTOMATIC CARTON CLOSING MACHINE Original Filed Aug. 24, 1962 13 Sheets-Sheet 8 Aug. 13, 1968 w. LovELAND ET M. Re. 26,44G

AUTOMATIC CARTON CLOSING MACHINE l5 Sheets-Sheet 9 Original Filed Aug. 24,. 1962 FIG/.9

Aug. 13, 1968 w. LovELAND ET AL Re" 25.44

AUTOMATIC CARTON CLOSING MACHINE Original Filed Aug. 24. 1962 13 Sheets-Sheet lO iAug. 13, 1968 w. Low-:LAND ET AL R- 26,440

AUTOMATIC CARTON CLOSING MACHINE Original Filed Aug. 24. 196? 13 Sheets-Sheet 11 Z4 i e? J a /6 /205 /f/ l! 2W; ivd

Aug. 13, 1968 w. LovELAND ET AL Re. 26,440

AUTOMATIC CARTON CLOSING MACHINE 1.3 Sheets-Sheet l?,

Original Filed Aug. 24, 1962 Aug. 13, 1968 w. L ovELAND ET AL Re- 26.440

AUTOMATIC CARTON CLOSING MACHINE 13 Sheets-Sheet 13 Original Filed Aug. 24, 1962 United States Patent O 26,440 AUTOMATIC CARTON CLOSING MACHINE Winton Loveland, Freeport, and Saul Warshaw, New

York, N.Y., assignors to The Loveshaw Corporation,

Farmingdale, N.Y., a corporation of New York Original No. 3,236,022, dated Feb. 22, 1966, Ser. No.

219,212, Aug. 24, 1962. Application for reissue Nov. 6,

1967, Ser. No. 682,702

25 Claims. (Cl. 53-75) Matter enclosed in heavy brackets appears in the original patent but forms no part of this reissue specification; matter printed in italics indicates the additions made by reissue.

ABSTRACT 0F THE' DISCLOSURE The present invention pertains to automatic carton closing machines. This machine folds down and inward the upwardly-extending front and rear flaps of a series of successive open-top cartons of random size to closed lateral positions so as to be lapped by downwardly and inwardly folded side flaps for securing the folded flaps together in carton closing positions. Such automatic machine embodies a lateral conveyor mechanism having an entrance end and a discharge end and defining therebetween a path of forward advance of carton travel along which the conveyor mechanism moves tlze cartons successively in spaced apart relation. A long this path is located a flap folding and sensing station where each carton is caused to pause for folding down and inwardly the upwardly extending front end flap. This flap folding operation is performed by an elevating head structure which is in an upper position as each carton is advanced to the station and which then descends to the top of the pausing carton to eHect the front flap folding operation. This elevating head also carries rear flap folding mechanism to fold the upstanding rear flap downward and forward, and then it causes the side flaps to be folded over these folded end flaps for effecting the carton top closure which may be given by equipment of the machine a permanency, such as by applying adhesive tape thereover or other ways of securing the fiaps together.

The present invention relates to machines for folding to closed positions the extending aps of the open tops of conventional cartons, eg., after they have been filled with goods to be distributed or marketed therein, and may supplement or embody any suitable folded ap securing means, such as the adhesive tape applying mechanism of our copending application for United States Letters Patent Serial No. 139,676, filed September 21, 1961.

Prior to the present invention various types of machines have been proposed semi-automatically or automatically to close the tops of successively fed loaded rectangular paperboard cartons, such as those formed from corrugated board, each having four opstanding flaps respectively located at the front, back and side top edges. It is common practice to close each carton top by folding these flaps down to a substantially common lateral plane in overlapping relation and securing them together, such as by applying adhesive to opposed aps surfaces, or securing them together by staples or adhesive tape.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an unusually elfective machine, which may be readily constructed and efficiently operated automatically to close successively the tops of a series of such cartons in a rapid and sure manner, and to adjust itself to the physical bulk and shape of each of a plurality of successive cartons as it is sensed thereby, although the cartons may be of random sizes.

Another object of the invention is to provide the machine with manual control means permitting it to be easily conditioned at will for continuous operation successively to close a plurality of cartons of uniform size sequentially fed thereto after it has automatically adjusted itself to one of the cartons of uniform size. Such operation on cartons of uniform size desirably is many times faster than the speed of closing successively a plurality of cartons of random sizes since, after adjustment to one of the cartons of uniform size, adjustment and sensing operations for accommodating carton dimensions are locked out effectively in accordance with the present invention. For cartons of uniform size it is no longer necessary to advance flap closing mechanism to the top of each carton and then retract it for successive advance to the next following carton, nor to do this with respect to carton clamping and guiding mechanism thereof. In other words, it becomes unnecessary for the machine to sense the size of each uniform carton at its ap folding station to dictate proper flap folding operations thereof.

A further object of the present invention is to provide carton responding control means dictating a certain flap folding operation with is automaticlly adjustable along the path of canon advance in the machine whereby the control means is positioned automatically farther forward in the vicinity of the Hap folding means for narrower cartons than for wider cartons. The distance of this automatic advance is proportionate to the width of each carton. This is particularly advantageous since the width of a carton dictates the height of its upwardly-extending un folded top flaps and the elfectiveness of the folding of at least one of these flaps, such as the back flap on the trailing top edge of the carton, is improved for a plurality of successive cartons of different sizes being run through the machine if this particular ap of each carton is engaged by the folding mechanism in similar manner.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view to reduced scale, with parts omitted for clarity, of an embodiment of the automatic carton closing machine of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan View to larger scale, with parts broken away, of the entrance end of the bed unit of the machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, with parts in section, of the remaining discharge end of the bed of the machine;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged top plan view, with parts broken away, of a portion of the ap folding head of the machine depicted in FIGS. l, 2 and 3;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view to enlarged scale, with parts broken away, of Hap folding mechanism shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, with members manipulated to alternative positions being indicated in dot-dash lines;

FIG. 6 is a detail view substantially on line 6-6 of FIG. 5, with parts broken away;

FIG. 7 is a back elevational view with parts in section taken substantially on line 7-7 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged section taken `substantially on line 8 8 of FIG. 2, showing details of the entrance gate and its operating mechanism;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on line 9-9 of FIG. 2. showing parts in side elevation;

FIG. is a sectional view, with parts broken away, taken substantially on line 10-10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a top plan view, with parts broken away, of physical carton sensing control means, such as an electrical circuit switch, mounted for adjustable translation along the carton travel path shown in FIG. 2 to be located between the selector gate and head elevating mechanism at the sensing station, illustrating a portion of a carton thereat which effects operation of this switch;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged side elevational view, with parts broken away, taken substantially on line 12-12 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 13-13 of FIGS. 2 and 12, showing `parts in elevation',

FIG. 14 is an enlarged sectional view, with parts broken away, taken substantially on line 14-14 of FIG. 2',

FIG. 15 is an enlarged detail plan view of clamping means for rail translating mechanism shown in FIG. 2, with parts in section;

FIG. 16 is a side elevational view of the clamping means shown in FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is an enlarged detail, with parts broken away and in section. of sprocket equipment as viewed on line 17-17 of FIGS. 1 and 3;

FIG. 18 is a view similar to FIG. 17 of clutch and brake mechanism as viewed on line 18-18 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 19 is an enlarged side elevational view, with parts broken away and in section, of the near side flap folding head supporting column and the support slide mounted therein;

FIG. 20 is an elevational view with parts broken away and in section, of the back edge of the structure shown in FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away, of the near side column shown in FIGS. 19 and 20 and depicting certain limit switch mechanism thereof which dictates the maximum and minimum vertical travel of the flap holding head;

FIG. 22 is a back elevational view, with parts in section, of the structure shown in FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is an enlarged detail of a flight bar of the second section chain conveyor of the machine, with parts broken away;

FIG. 24 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 24-24 of FIG. 23 with parts broken away and others shown in elevation;

FIG. 25 is a diagrammatic view of pneumatic equipment for operating the back flap folder or kicker mounted on the head and shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 26 is a diagrammatic view similar to FIG. 25 of pneumatic equipment for operating the entrance or selector gate shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 8;

FIG. 27 is a diagrammatic view similar to FIGS. 25 and 26 of the pneumatic equipment for operating the carton guiding and clamping rail structure depicted in FIG. 2, the clamping means for its translating mechanism depicted in FIGS. 15 and 16, and clearance arm means shown in FIGS. 2, 12 and 13',

FIG. 28 is a schematic wiring diagram of the electrical circuitry of the machine depicted in FIGS. 1 to 27 inelusive;

FIG. 29 is a vertical section, with parts broken away, of a topportion of a typical open-top loaded carton with the bulk of the contents being such as to overtill slightly the carton before compacting, and illustrating that resulting bulging of folded front and back flaps prevent sharp folding of side flaps along their scored break lines; and

FIG. 30 is an enlarged side elevational view, with parts broken away, of the flap folding head illustrated in FIG. 5 equipped with carton contents compacting means to assure depression of the folded front and back top flaps to the plane of the scored break line of the side flaps of the loaded carton of FIG. 29l (with a portion of the latter being shown herein) assuring solution of this over-filling problem.

Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals identify similar parts throughout, it will be seen, and particularly from FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, that the embodiment of the automatic carton closing machine illustrated by way of example therein may comprise a bed unit 1 and an elevating head `unit 2 supported on the former by upwardly-extending standards or columnar structure 3. Conventionally the parts of the machine are made of suitable metals. The bed unit 1 has a rectangular frame structure supported upon suitable legs 4. The frame structure may include opposed side walls 5 and 6, a relatively low end wall 7 at the entrance end, and another end wall 8 at the discharge end.

The bed unit 1 is equipped with lateral conveyor means suitably supported by the frame side walls 5 and 6, and this conveyor means has an entrance end in the vicinity of end wall 7 and a discharge end in the vicinity of end wall 8. This conveyor means defines a longitudinal path of forward carton travel along which it successively transports a plurality of open-top cartons. Such cartons are of conventional form being constructed, if desired, from corrugated board and rectangular in cross section with the edges of the top thereof provided with upwardlyextending front and back flaps respectively on the leading and trailing top edges and opposed upwardly-extending side flaps on the side top edges, all to be folded down to closed lateral lapping positions for securement in carton closing position. This machine of the present invention is designed automatically to close successively the tops of such cartons in this manner after they have been loaded 'with the products to be marketed or shipped therein. Accordingly, any suitable feeding means, such as a roller conveyor 9, illustrated in FIG. l, will be mounted adjacent the entrance end of the bend unit 1, i.e., adjacent the end wall 7, successively to feed a supply of the loaded cartons over the top edge of the latter to the conveyor means. The frame structure of the bed unit 1 may include lateral sheet metal ledges 10 and 11 extending inwardly from the top edges of the side walls S and 6 for support of certain control devices as will appear hereinafter, and strengthening cross framing members may `be embodied.

At the entrance end of the bed unit 1, in the vicinity of end wall 7, is mounted a liftable gate 12 shown in FIGS. l, 2 and 12. A cross shaft 13, having its end supported by side walls 5 and 6 of the frame structure, pivotally supports a pair of swinging arms 14 which carry on their back ends a gate bar 15. The gate bar 15 may be in the form of a length of angle stock having an upwardly-extending, carton-barring flange 16. The gate `bar l5 preferably supports thereon a rotatable roll 17 over which the bottom of a loaded carton may advance readily after a leading portion advances thereover. It will be understood that when the gate arms 14 are swung upwardly, or in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 8, the gate flange 16 will swing up above the plane defined by the tops of the series of feed rollers 9 to bar the leading end of a carton bottom suppled across the latter until this gate flange is lowered below this feed plane.

As will tbe seen from FIG. 8, the means for lifting and lowering the entrance gate 12 may be in the form of a double-action pneumatic cylinder 18 and, as is illustrated schematically in FIG. 26, a pair of such pneumatic cylinders may be provided with each connected to one end of the gate bar I5. Each pneumatic cylinder 18 is provided with a piston 19 to opposite sides of which lead fluid conduits 20 and 21, which alternately serve as supply and venting passages for opposite ends of the cylinder chamber. It will be understood from FIG. 8 that the bottom end of each pneumatic cylinder 18 has a supporting arm 22 pivotally connected to a bracket 23 tixedly mounted to end wall 7 of the frarne structure.

The piston 19 of each pneumatic cylinder 18 is provided with a piston rod 24 coupled by a knuckle 25 to an arm 26 mounted to the gate bar 15. Thus, when pressurized air is fed to the top conduits of the pneumatic cylinders 18, the pistons thereof will be retracted to lower the gate flange 16, with vent of the opposite end of the cylinders through the conduits 21. When pressurized air is supplied through the bottom conduits 21 of the pneumatic cylinders 18 with the top ends of the latter vented through the conduits 20, the gate bar 15 will be raised to lift the gate fiange 16 to cartonbarring position across the path of supplied cartons.

The conveyor means includes a continuously driven, initial endless section 27 indicated in FIG. 1 and seen in FIG. 2. For this purpose, an idling roller 28 is rotatably supported by a pair of arms 29 pivotally mounted on the cross shaft 13. A driving shaft 30 is rotatably supported by bearing units 31 between the frame side walls 5 and 6, and carries fixed thereto a driving roller 32. The initial conveyor section 27 preferably is in the form of an endless belt lapped about the rollers 28 and 32. As will be best seen from FIG. 1, a bottom run of the conveyor belt 27 is lapped back and forth about idling rolls 33 and 34 with the latter supported by tension adjusting devices 35. The shaft 30 carries a sprocket 36 fixed thereto to `be driven by a drive chain indicated by dot-dotdotdash lines 37 in FIGS. 2 and 3. The endless driving chain 37 has a run lapped against a guiding idler 38 and is lapped about a driving sprocket 39. Driving sprocket 39 is one of a group of three thereof fixed together with the second 40 constituting means for driving tape feeding mechanism and the third 41 constituting the driving sprocket about which is lapped a driving chain indicated by dot-dot-dash lines at 42 in FIG. 3. The group of sprockets 39, 40 and 41 are rotatably supported by a cross shaft 43 and the tape feed sprocket drives tape feeding mechanism which constitutes no part of the present invention, comprising sprockets 44 and 45 about which an endless chain is lapped and a sprocket 46 against which the drive chain 42 is lapped in turn to drive a cross shaft 47 of tape feed mechanism. The endless chain 42 is lapped about a driving sprocket 48 fixed to a driving stub shaft 49 of a reduction gear unit 50 operated by a main driving electric motor 51. The driving stub shaft 49 also carries fixed thereto another driving sprocket 52 about which is lapped an endless driving chain indicated by dot-dash lines at 53 in FIG. 3, in turn lapped about a driven sprocket 54 rotatably supported by a cross shaft 55 equipped with suitable brake and clutch devices for drive of a second conveyor section as is explained hereinafter.

Cross shaft 13 also carries, rotatably supported thereon, a pair of near and far idler sprockets 56 and 156, as will be seen in FIG. 2, `while cross shaft 55 is rotatably supported by bearing units 57 and 157 carrie-d by frame rside walls 5 and 6, as will best be understood from FIG. 18. Drive shaft 55 carries fixed thereto a pair of near and `far sprockets 58 and 158 respectively aligned with sprockets 56 and 156. The second endless conveyor section `preferably is in the form of a pair of endless chains, indicated by dot-dash lines 59 and 159I in FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively lapped about sprockets 56 and 58, and 156 and 158, for drive by sprockets 58 and 158. As will be best understood from FIG. 1, the lower run of each of the endless chains 59 and 159 is lapped beneath one of a pair of idlers 60 and 160 rotatably supported by a cross shaft 61 mounted between frame side walls 5 and 6, and beneath another of a pair of idlers 62 and 162 rotatably supported by another cross shaft 63 shown in FIG. 17. The second endless conveyor section also includes a series of carton transporting flight bars 64 which, as is indicated in FIG. l, may be four in number spaced longitudinally appreciably apart. As is indicated in FIGS. 23 and 24, each fiight bar 64 may be in the form of an upstanding flange supported by a saddle 65 to which are connected links of the conveyor chains 59 and 159. The pair of conveyor chains 59 and 159 also carry a plurality of reversed flight bars 164 which may be similar to the flight bars 64 an-d incorporated in the endless chains in a manner similar to that illustrated in FIGS. 23 and 24. There may be a pair of the reversed flight bars 164, and each constitutes a carton stop having the function of holding a carton at a sensing station when the second conveyor section pauses or is held in stop position, as will be understood from the operation described hereinafter. The endless conveyor chain 59 on the near side, as viewed in FIG. 1, also is equipped with a plurality of tripping lugs 66-1 and 66-2 to be carried along therewith for operating certain limit conveyor means described hereinafter, and there may be a pair thereof each associated with one of the carton stop flight bars 164.

It will thus be seen that the initial conveyor section comprising endless belt 27 has an entrance end near the vicinity of the selector gate 12 `and a discharge end at a point appreciably in advance thereof which, as will be explained later, is at a carton sensing and flap folding station. From the discharge end of the initial conveyor section or belt 27 suitable fixed carton-supporting structure extends forward, and this may be in form of a pair of fixed rails 270 suitably supported between the `frame side walls 5 an-d 6 and terminating in the vicinity of the discharge end wall 8, as will be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3. It will also be understood therefrom that the second conveyor section comprising conveyor chains 59 and 159 and their flights 64 extend forward at least from the discharge end of the belt conveyor 27 to the discharge end of the bed unit 1. As will be apparent from FIG. 2, preferably the entrance end of the chain conveyor appreciably laps the discharge end of the belt conveyor and, in fact, has its chain-supporting front sprockets 56 and 156 rotatably supported on the same cross shaft 13 which pivotally carries the arms 29 rotatably supporting roller 28 about which the entrance end of the conveyor belt 27 is lapped. Thus, any carton which is delivered to the sensing and flap folding station by the conveyor belt 27 will be picked up there by an oncoming flight 64- of the chain conveyor to be slid for- 'ward over the rails 270 to the discharge end of the bed unit 1.

The near end of driven cross shaft 55 carries a housed magnetic brake 67-1 and the far end thereof carries a housed magnetic clutch 67-2, both of which may be of conventional construction. For example, the frame side wall 5 may fixedly support through fixed housing 68 of the brake unit 67-1 fixed field coils and core structure thereof opposed to an axially slidable armature therein. Hub 69 of `drive sprocket 58 is keyed to the drive shaft 5S and the sprocket in turn carries circumferentiallyspaced, axially-extending pins 70 on which is slidably mounted for axial motion the armature, which Amay be in the form of a paframagnetic disc (hidden in housing 68). The fixed core structure is annular and has a friction iface equipped with suitable brake lining material opposed to a face of the slidable armature plate, so that when the brake field coil is energized the armature plate is drawn axially against the brake lining of the fixed magnetic core structure to clamp it thereto and prevent the driven cross shaft 55 from rotating. The clutch unit 67-2 is of somewhat similar structure with the field coil thereof also fixedly supported by housing 168 therewithin which is in turn fixedly mounted to the frame side wall 6. The annular core structure, a portion of which is seen at 71 in FIG. 18, is carried by a hub 72 keyed to the driven shaft S5. While the hub 169 of sprocket 158 is also keyed to the driven shaft 5S, the drive sprocket 54 has its hub 73 freely supported on this shaft rfor relative rotation and axial lmotion toward the keyed core structures 71, and sprocket 54 may be constructed of paramagnetic material to serve as the annular armature. Thus, when the field coil of the clutch unit 67-2 is energized, the

drive sprocket 54 will be slid axially outward a short distance to have its outer face engage a friction facing of suitable material carried by the annular magnetic core structure 71 keyed to the shaft, to connect the shaft an-d the conveyor chain driving sprockets 58 and 158 keyed thereto to the shaft drive sprocket 54. Since the magnetic brake and clutch units 67-1 and 67-2 are of conventional construction, further structural details thereof are not necessary to an understanding of their functions and operations, and they are alternately operated or energized for alternate periodic drive and pause of the chain conveyor section.

As will be understood from FIGS. l, 3 and 17, the support structure 3 includes an opposed pair of upwardlyextending standards or columns 75 and 175 which constitute supports for the elevating `head unit 2, and these columns are xedly `mounted to the frame side Walls and 6 of the bed unit 1 in any suitable manner. The columns 75 and 175 preferably are of channel construction so as to provide guiding channels 76 and 176 for headsupporting slides or carriage means therein, and to house elevating mechanism. Opposite ends of the cross shaft 63 extend into the channels 76 and 176 and are xedly mounted to these columns by any suitable means, such as stud bolts 77. Within the channels 76 and 176, fixed cross shaft 63 rotatably supports sprockets 78 and 178, forming a part of head elevating mechanism, as is explained here following.

As will be understood from FIGS. 2, 3 and 9 to 14 incl., the bed unit 1 is equipped with suitable carton clamping and carton travel guiding means, preferably extending from the vicinity of the entrance end to a distance short of the discharge end of the bed 1, but entirely through the carton sensing and flap folding station in the vicinity of the discharge end of the initial conveyor section or belt 27. This carton clamping and guiding structure `may be in the form of a pair of rails 80 and 180, which may be of channel formation, as shown, to provide on the inner sides thereof opposed opstanding tianges 81 and 181. As will be understood from FIGS. 2, 3 and 14, the clamping and guiding rails `80 and 180 are suitably supported by a pair of transverse rods 82 and 83 mounted to the frame side walls S and 6. Each of the rods 82 and 83 supports a pair of slides 84 and 184 carrying bracket arms 85 and 185 to each of which is mounted one `of the rails 80 and 180, as will be best seen in FIG. 14. Thus, the guiding and clamping rails 80 and 180 are slidably supported on transverse rods 82 and 83 for transverse movement inward and outward relative to the center of the path of carton travel defined by the longitudinally-extending conveyor means. In their outward positions, depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3, the rails 80 and 180 are at their initial carton-receptive positions to permit a carton feed over depressed gate 12 to the entrance end of the initial conveyor section belt 27 to advance therebetween. The front end of each of the rails 80 and 180 preferably is equipped with a freely rotating carton guide roller 86 to facilitate entrance of a carton therebetween.

The clamping and guiding rails 80 and 180 are slid transversely b-ack and forth on the guide rods 82 and 83 by suitable driving mechanism. Such rail driving mechanism may be in the `form of a fluid pressure motor, such as a pneumatic cylinder 87 of the double-action type having its piston head 88 equipped with a through piston rod 89, as will be best understood from FIG. 27. The rail driving mechanism includes lateral sprockets 90, 91, 92, 93, 94 and 95. Sprockets 90 and 92 are supported on frame side wall 5 by a bracket 96 while sprockets 93 and 95 are supported by a similar, reversely-shaped bracket 196. Sprocket 91 is supported on side wall 6 by a bracket 97 and a bracket 98 is employed to support sprocket 94 on the latter side wall, as will be understood. from FIGS. 2 and 14 to 16 inclusive. Lengths of link chain are lapped about the sprockets 90 to 95 incl. and anchored to opposite ends of the piston rod 89, with suitable connections to the slides 84 and 184 to drive the rails and 180 transversely inward and outward. For example, a length 99 of such link chain is anchored to the right end of piston rod 89 as viewed in FIG. 2 and lapped about sprocket 90 to extend transversely to an anchor bolt carried by slide 184 on slide rod 83. Slide 184 also carries another chain anchor bolt 200 to which one end of another chain length 199 is anchored, with the latter lapped about sprocket 91 to extend transversely back to another anchor bolt 300 carried by slide 84 on slide rod 83. The latter slide 84 also carries an additional anchor bolt 400 to which a third length 299 of the chain is connected, with the latter lapped about sprocket 92 to extend longitudinally back for lap about sprocket 93 and then transversely to a fth anchor bolt 500 carried in like manner by slide 184 on slide rod 82. This slide 184 also carries another anchor bolt 600 to which a fourth length of chain 399 is anchored and then lapped about sprocket 94 to extend transversely back to an additional anchor bolt 700 carried by slide 84 on slide rod 82, with a further anchor bolt 800 on the latter slide having connected thereto a fifth length of chain 499 lapped about sprocket 95 to extend longitudinally forward to connection `with the left hand end of the piston rod 89. Thus, when the piston rod 89 of the pneumatic cylinder 87 is slid longitudinally to the right, as viewed in FIG. 2, the clamping and guiding rails 80 and 180 are driven transversely outward to their initial carton-receptive positions shown therein, and when the piston rod is then reciprocated in the opposite direction to the left in FIG. 2 these rails are driven transversely inward toward each other for approach of their inside anges 81 and 181 to opposite sides of a carton delivered therebetween.

Referring to FIGS. 15 and 16, it will kbe seen that a clamping device is provided in association with the sprocket 94, to hold the guiding and clamping rails 80 and 180 in an adjusted position, such as the initial retracted position illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. Such clamping means may include another pneumatic cylinder 101 of the double-action type, as is also indicated in FIG. 27, having its piston head 102 carried by a piston rod 103 which exteriorly of the cylinder is connected to or abutted against an arcuate clamping shoe 104. The arcuate clamping shoe 104 is slidably mounted on a pair of rods 105 supported by head structure 106 of the pneumatic cylinder, with the latter in turn supported by a 'bracket 107 mounted to frame side wall 6. The guide rods 105 carry on the far ends thereof a fixedly mounted arcuate clamping shoe 108 in opposed relation to the shoe 104. Cylindrical hub 109 of the sprocket 94 is located between opposed arcuate faces 110 and 111 of the clamping shoes 104 and 108, so that when the latter are forced toward each other by feed of pressurized Huid or air to the cylinder 101 by way of conduit 112 behind the piston head 102, this sprocket is clamped in stop position to hold the rails 80 and 180 in their relative adjusted positions. The space in the cylinder 101 ahead of the lpiston 102 is vented through conduit 113 when pressurized air is fed t-o the space therebehind `by conduit 112, and when the functions of these conduits are reversed the pressurized. air is fed to the space in front of the piston head to retract the clamping shoe 104 and free sprocket 94, so as to permit pneumatic cylinder 87 to adjust the relative positions of the rails 80 and 180 by transverse drive.

The front end of guiding and clamping rail carries opposite the belt conveyor section 27, in the area of the carton sensing and flap folding station clearance means 114 and an adjustable control or sensing device 115, as will be seen in FIG. 2. The clearance means 114 is in the form of a pivoted arm 116, details of which are shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. A section of the inward side flange 181 of rail 180 is cut out and clearance arrn 116 is pivotally supported at 117 therein, with its free end 118 extending in the direction of carton forward travel. In order to actuate the clearance arm 116 from a retracted full line position, shown in FIGS. 2 and 13 fby swinging it inward away from the rail a fraction of an inch to the dot-dash position, a third pneumatic cylinder, of the single action type, 119 is provided on the rail. As is indicated in FIG. 13, the outer side flange 281 `of rail 180 swivelly supports the back end 120 of the pneumatic cylinder 119, and the piston head 121 (shown in FIG. 27) carries a piston rod 122 connected by a knuckle 123 to the back side of the free end 118 of the clearance arm 116. Thus, when pressurized air is fed to the back end of cylinder 119 by conduit 124 the piston head 121 and its pisto-n rod 122 are thrust forward to swing free end 118 of the clearance arm 116 inward to the dot-dash position. The clearance arm 116 may `be retracted toward its full line position upon discontinuance o-f feed of the pressurized air to the back end of cylinder 119, as a result of resistive force applied thereto by contact with a carton side wall when the carton is clamped between the rails 80 and 180 `at this point. If desired, such retraction of the clearance arm 116 may `be more positively or fully attained by mounting a helical compression spring about the piston rod 122 within the head space of the cylinder 119 in front of the piston head 121. The advantage attained by the provision of the clearance arm 116 is more fully explained here following in connection with a description of a typical operation of the machine.

For the purpose of supporting the adjustable control 115 upon the guiding and clamping rail 180, the latter carries a pair of opposed brackets 12S (see FIGS. 2, 9, 10, and l1). The brackets 125 support therebetween a pair of longitudinally-extending guide rods 126 and 226 upon which a carriage 127 is slidably mounted. Carriage 127 supports a control device 128, which may be in the form of an electrical circuit switch biased to one of its open and closed positions and manipulated to the other thereof by an actuating arm 129. As will be best understood from FIGS. 2 and 11, the switch actuating arm 129 is elongated and extends longitudinally forward while having its mid-section shaped to be disposed substantially parallel to the inward face of flange 181 of rail 180 when retracted or swung back by contact with carton side structure. Thus, when the rails 80 and 180 are driven inward toward each other with a carton disposed therebetween opposite the control 115, the back side of the carton which is opposed to the switch operating arm 129 will first be contacted thereby. Then, as the rails 80 and 180 are brought to clamping positions against the opposite sides of the carton, this switch operating arm 129 will be retracted or pushed back to the position of FIG. 11 to operate the switch 128. The control device comprising switch 128 and its actuating arm 129 are automatically adjustable along the path of carton forward travel as dictated by the width of the carton. For example, a narrow carton causes the clamping rails 80 and 180 to be driven inward toward each other an appreciable distance and the control devioe 128 will `be advanced forward an appreciable distance. With wider cartons, where inward travel of the clamping rails 80 and 180 is relatively small, the control device 128 will be advanced forward only a short distance. This automatic adjustment of the position of the control device 128 is attained by substantially rigid tie means pivotally connected to the fixed structure of the bed frame and to the control carriage 127. For example, elongated rigid arm or strap 130 is pivotally mounted at 131 to a channel 132 tixedly supported by bed frame wall 6, with its other end pivotally connected at 133 to the carriage 127, as will be understood from FIGS, 2, and 11. Thus, as rail 180 is driven transversely inward toward the center of the longitudinal path of carton forward travel, the tie 130 is swung counterclockwise to pull the control carriage 127 forward along the guide rods 126 and 226. This forward adjustment of the position of the control device is proportionate to the width of the carton at the carton sensing and flap folding station, and this forward adjustment action, as well as the retraction of the actuating arm 129, is illustrated in FIG. 1l, wherein a side wall portion of a carton is indicated at 134 to which is abutted inner side flange 181 of rail 180 with the actuating arm 129 retracted for alignment of its mid-portion therewith.

The bed unit 1 also is provided with additional control equipment. As will be seen from FIG. 1, the frame of the bed unit 1 supports a limit control 135, which may be in the form of electrical circuit switching means having a plurality of switches mechanically linked together for simultaneous operation. The limit switch 135 is provided with an actuating trigger 136 designed to be swung up and down and biased to its downward position with a drag roller 137 carried by its lower end. Limit switch 135 preferably is supported upon ledge 10 beyond the head-supporting 11p-right column 75, such as in the vicinity of the location X indicated in FIG. 3, so that the roller 137 on the actuating trigger 136 will be dragged over the next oncoming traveling lug 66-1 or 66-2 carried `by conveyor chain 59. When the upper run of conveyor chain 59 in its forward travel causes lug 66-1 to engage the trigger 136, the latter will be swung up to actuate the switches in the limit switch unit 135, and the circuit switches thereof will be held to their respective manipulated positions until this run of the conveyor chain advances sufficiently to free the trigger and thus permit the limit switches to be returned to their initial positions. The limit switch unit 135 is provided for Random" operation of the machine, i.e., to close random size cartons. For operation of the machine to close uniform size cartons, it may be set to a Uniform setting, as explained hereinafter, and, for this purpose, the machine will be equipped with another limit switch unit of a construction similar to that at 135 except for the number of circuit switches controlled thereby. This second limit switch unit preferably is supported on the opposite ledge 11 substantially opposite to the location of limit switch unit 135 on ledge 10, with its actuating trigger depending for drag against a plurality of lugs carried by conveyor chain 159, and with each associated with one of the flights 64, as hereinafter explained.

The clearance lever 116 and the switch actuated arm 129 constitute physical sensing devices for contact with the side of a carton at the sensing station. Additional sensing devices are `provided on the bed unit 1, which may be in the form of optical carton sensing devices. For example, as will be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the ledge 10 may support at 138, in the vicinity of the selector gate 12 and slightly in advance thereof a photo cell responsive to the light `beam from a light source 139 supported on the opposite side by ledge 11. At the sensing and flap folding station, preferably opposite the clearance means device 114 ledge 10 may support in similar fashion, substantially at the point 140, a second photo cell arranged opposite to a second light source for response to the beam thereof, with the latter being located substantially at the point 141. The functions of the photo cells at 138 and 140 will be explained in connection with the wiring diagram of FIG. 28 and the operation of the machine detailed hereinafter.

In FIG. 1 is shown in dot-dash lines an open-top carton Y located opposite the photo cell optical sensing device 14|] at the sensing and flap folding station, beneath a flap folding and carton closing head 142 supported for elevating travel upon the upright columns 75 and 175. Head 142 includes a lateral frame member or beam 143 from which depends a post 144, as will be understood from FIGS. l. 4, 5 and 7. The bottom end of depending post 144 pivotally carries at 145 a front flap folding arm structure 146, which, due to gravity biasing, normally depends in the top elevated position of the head 142 shown in FIG. 1 obliquely down and forward to the full line position shown in FIG. I, and the dot-dash position shown in FIG. 5. The front iiap folding arm structure 146 carries a finger 147 which engages a trigger 148 of another limit control, which may be an electrical circuit switch device 149 supported on the post 144. In the full line position of the front liap folding arm structure 146 shown in FIG. 1 its finger 147 holds the switch trigger 148 forward to a tripped position to hold the switch in one of its open and closed positions. When the front flap folding arm structure 146 is swung upward to a lateral position, indicated in FIG. 1 in dot-dash lines and `in full lines in FIG. 5, the trigger 148 of switch 149 is released to permit the switch to be actuated to the other of its two positions. The bottom of the depending post 144 has anchored thereto, such as by welding, one end of a folded flap hold-down device in the form of a resilient presser strip 150, which extends forward with its free end unsupported, to cooperate with the front fiap folding arm structure 146. As will be seen from FIGS. l and 5, the flap hold-down strip 150 may have a continuating portion at its anchored back end, which is turned up obliquely and then inward to additional anchorage to the depending post 144, so as to provide a wedge-shaped stop 250 for a back flap folding arm or kicker hereinafter described.

The elevating flap folding head 142 also may have a forwardly extending lateral frame member A which supports suitable flap securing mechanism, which may be tape applying means of the type disclosed in our aboveidentified copending patent application Ser. No. 139,676, including pairs of wipe down arms B and C," to which are supplied from a suitable tape supply reel D lengths of gummed tape to be adhesively atiixed over overlapping iiaps of a carton top after the flaps have been folded down in stacked or overlapping relation. Since operation of the present machine is not limited to the employment of type applying mechanism as means to secure the overlapped tiaps together, no further details of this part of the flap folding head 142 need be here recited. This is likewise true with respect to similar tape applying devices carried by the bed unit 1, including another adhesive tape supply reel E (see FIGS. 1 and 2), tape feed and drive sprockets 40, 44 and 45, tape mechanism cross shaft 47 and its drive sprocket 46, tape feed actuators F (supported on rail 180, see FIG. 3) and associated structure not herein described, since such tape supplying and applying means form no part of the present invention.

It will be seen from FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 that the front t folding flap arm structure 146 preferably is bifurcated or in the form of a fork between the urcations or tines of which is located a lateral projection 152 supported on the bottom end of depending post 144 and carrying on its front end a spring-biased detent 153. One furcation 246 of the fork 146 carries a slidable latch plate 154 which is cut back, as shown in FIG. 6, to provide a nose 155, which will be engaged above the spring biased latch in the lateral full line position of the front flap folding arm seen in full lines in FIG. 5, upon the latch plate being manually slid or retracted toward the pivot point 145. By this means the front flap folding arm 146 is latched to its lateral or horizontal position for Uniform carton size operation.

The lateral frame member or beam 143 of head 142 pivotally supports at 151 a carton back iiap folding arm or kicker 161, as will be seen from FIGS. 1 and 4. The back flap folding arm or kicker 161 is normally held in an extended or substantially lateral position when the flap folding head 142 is elevated to the maximum height of its vertical travel, as is shown in FIG. 1. For this purpose the lateral beam 143 carries a kicker actuating means, preferably in the form of a pneumatic cylinder 163, as is shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 and diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 25. This pneumatic cylinder 163 is of the doubleaction type with pressurized fluid being alternately fed to opposite ends on opposite sides of its piston head 164 by suitable conduit means, such as 165 and 166. Piston rod 167 connected to piston head 164 of the pneumatic cylinder 163 is connected by a knuckle 170 to a lever arm 171 fixed to the hub of the pivoted kicker 161, as will be seen from FIG. 4. Thus when pressurized air is supplied to the back end of pneumatic cylinder 163 through conduit 166, the rear tiap kicker 161 is swung backward and upwardly to its substantially lateral cocked position, shown in FIG. 1, with the head space of the cylinder in front of piston head 164 being vented by conduit 165. It will be seen from FIG. 1 that the bottom side of the rear Iiap kicker 161 is provided with a depending tapered nose 172 having an oblique rear face 1731 which, when the kicker is swung down to its depending position indicated in dot-dash lines in FIG. 1, is Voriented to substantial parallelism with the oblique stop 250. The cocked kicker 161 is swung down to this position to engage or strike the rear face of an upstanding back ap on the trailing end of the open top of a carton and kick it forward to folded lateral position by reversing the pneumatic connection to cylinder 163, i.e., by supplying pressurized fluid or air to conduit 165 and venting through conduit 166, to retract the piston rod 167. When the kicker 161 is swung down the oblique rear face 173-2 of its tapered nose 172 provides a fiat lateral bottom surface substantially in the horizontal plane of the bottom surface 146-1 of front iiap folding arm structure 146 when swung up, as are indicated in dot-dash lines in FIG. 1. These aligned bottom surfaces of the tiap folding arms 146 and 161 maintain the folded front and back flaps in a common lateral plane during forward transport of the carton which effects the folding down of the side aps.

The top of the column and 175, which support the head 2 for vertical reciprocation, xedly support at their top ends a reversing electric motor 174, as is indicated in FIG. 1. The drive of reversing motor 174 is suitably geared to a pair of top drive sprockets 177 and 277 carried by the top ends of the columns 75 and 175. Drive chain 178 is lapped about drive sprocket 177 in the vicinity of the top end of column channel 75 and about the bottom idler sprocket 78, shown in FIGS. 3 and 17, with opposed ends thereof anchored by suitable means at 179 to a slide 182 riding up and down in channel 76, as will be understood from FIG. 19. In similar fashion, a like chain (not shown) is lapped about the far top sprocket 277 and bottom idler sprocket 178, and is anchored in like fashion to a similar slide of reversed form located in channel 176 of column 175. The opposed pair of slides (including that shown at 182 in FIGS. 19 and 20) are suitably tied together to act as a carriage unit, such as by a plurality of tie rods or tubes 183, one of which is shown in FIG. 20, and the locations of which are indicated in FIG. 19. The carriage comprising the pair of slides 182 and its companion suitably support the lateral frame member or beam 143 for vertical travel down and up therewith. Thus, when the reversing vertical travel motor 174 is driven in one direction the entire head structure 2 is lowered to position its ap folding means above an open top carton at the sensing and flap folding station, such carton being indicated at Y in FIG. 1, and when driven in the opposite direction will lift this head structure to its initial elevated position, such as that indicated in full lines in FIG. 1.

Maximum limits of up and down motion of the head structure 2 are dictated by suitable limit means, which may be in the form of switch means in electrical circuitry of the reversing motor 174. Such switch means may be of the double-throw type so as alternately to open the energizing circuits of the reversing motor 174 to limit the down and up drive thereof. Such reversing motor control switch unit is shown in FIGS. 19 to 22 incl. at 186 suitably mounted on slide 182. Switch unit 186 is provided with a double-action actuating trigger 187 carrying a roller 188 arranged to be abutted in its up and down travel to top and bottom stop collars 189 and 190, fixed upon a vertical control rod 191 supported by bed unit frame ledge and the back edge ange 192 of column channel 75, as will be seen from FIGS. 21 and 22. The vertical control rod 191 also preferably carries an additional stop collar 193, which may be adjusted in its elevational position by its set screw in the form of a wing screw, as shown therein. Thus adjustable collar 193 may serve to dictate the top limit of lift of the head structure 2. The bottom stop collar 190 will limit lowering of the head structure 2, so as to assure that no parts thereof will be driven down to jam against any of the bed unit structure should the down energizing circuit of the reversing motor 174 accidentally be closed in the absence of a carton at the sensing and ap folding station, thus being provided as a safety measure.

The gearings shown in FIGS. 19 and 20 as being carried by the carriage slide 782 forms part of the tape supply mechanism for cooperation with the tape applying means B and C carried by the arm A of the head structure 2, and thus need not be herein described.

It will be understood by the diagrammatic showings in FIGS. 25, 26 and 27 that pressurized uid, such as air, is supplied to the various actuating pneumatic cylinders 18, `87, 101, 119, and 163 through suitable liow control solenoid valves, preferably of the four-way type, so that paths of flow may be reversed alternately. As is indicated in FIG. 27 the pneumatic system in which the rail operating cylinder 87, the reel driving mechanism stop clamp cylinder 101, and the clearance arm operating cylinder 119 are located, are controlled by such four- Way solenoid valves 194 and 195. The selector gate operating cylinders 18 are controlled by such a four-way solenoid valve 197, as is indicated in FIG. 26; and the back Hap folding kicker operating cylinder 163 is controlled by such a four-way solenoid valve 198.

As will be seen from FIG. 25, pressurized air fed through a supply conduit, indicated at 201, may upon energization of four-way solenoid valve 198, be passed straight through to conduit 165 and to the head end of cylinder 163 to retract the piston rod 167, so as to swing the back flap folding kicker 161 down from cocked position, with the opposite end the cylinder 163 being vented to exhaust through conduit 166 and flow back straight through the solenoid valve 198. When four-way solenoid valve 198 is de-energized, the passages therethrough are cross-connected so that supply conduit 201 is thus communicated along the path 202 through the valve to the conduit 166, with cross communication of conduit 165 along the path 203 to the venting port, so as to cause the piston rod 167 to `be thrust outwardly for swinging the depending back flap folding kicker 161 from its down position, indicated `by dot-dash lines in FIG. 1, up to the cocked full line position thereof.

As will be seen from FIG. 261, when pressurized air is fed through supply conduit 204 with the four-way solenoid valve 197 energized it passes straight through to a conduit 205 connected to the common conduit 20 so as to supply the air to the top ends of the gate retracting cylinders 18, with venting of their bottom ends through the common conduit 21, conduit 206 connected to the latter and back straight through the solenoid valve to exhaust. When the solenoid valve 197 is de-energized it cross-connects the supply conduit 204 and the exhaust port with the conduits 206 and 205 respectively by Way of paths 207 and 208 through the valve.

The pneumatic system diagrammatically shown in FIG. 27 includes four-way solenoid valves 194 and 195, which are shown therein in their energized conditions. A conduit 208 is connected between a port 209 of solenoid valve 195 and also to conduit 113 of clamp actuating cylinder 101 and conduit 124 of clearance arm operating cylinder 119. Thus, when pressurized air is fed through supply conduit 210 it passes straight through solenoid valve 195 and its ports 209 to conduit 208 for supply to the bottom ends of cylinders 119 and 101 and onward through a pressure regulator 211 to a supply port 212 of energized four-way solenoid valve 194. The supplied pressurized air thus passes straight through the latter to a conduit 213 connected to port 214 for feed to conduits 215 and 216. Conduit 215 is connected to a pressure switch unit 217, with switch 218 thereof being biased to open condition to break an electrical circuit which may be connected to terminals 219 and 220 thereof. Feed of pressurized air through conduit 215 to pressure switch unit 217 will thus cause the switch 218 to close at a critical pressure, and when the pressure drops below this critical value the switch will again open the circuit. Supply of pressurized air through conduit 216 to the top end of rail driving cylinder 87 will cause its piston rod 89 to travel downwardly to cause intervening mechanism to move the guiding and clamping rails and 180 in wardly toward each other. The bottom end of the cylinder 87 is connected by conduit 221 to a port 222 of solenoid valve 194 so that air will be vented through this conduit and port back straight through this valve to exhaust port 223 thereof. The conduit 112 of the cylinder 101 is connected to a port 224 of solenoid valve 195 which leads straight through an exhaust port 22S. A pair of flow control valves 227 and 228 are respectively connected in the conduits 213 and 221.

Thus, when lboth solenoid valves 195 and 194 are energized, pressurized air is fed successively therethrough to the pressure switch 217 to close it and to the top end of pneumatic cylinder 87 to move the rails 80 and 180 transversely inward toward each other. At the same time pressurized air is fed to the bottom end of the cylinder 119 to extend its piston rod 122 and swing the clearance arm 116 out away from the inside face of flange 181 of rail 180, toward the opposed inside face of the flange 81 of rail 80. Also, at this time pressurized air is fed through conduit 113 to the bottom end of the pneumatic cylinder 101, so as to retract its piston rod 103 for freeing the clamping mechanism 104-108 and releasing the rail driving mechanism to permit the rails 80 and 180 to be driven transversely inward toward each other. If now solenoid valve 194 be (le-energized while solenoid valve 195 remains energized, the pressurized air will be fed from conduit 208 through the cross path 229 in solenoid valve 194 to the conduit 221 for supply to the bottom end of pneumatic cylinder 87, so as to move its piston rod 89 upwardly for retracting or transversely moving apart the rails 80 and 180, with the top end of this cylinder being vented back through conduits 2.16 and 213 and cross path 230 to the exhaust port 223. Thus, with maintenance of the energization of the solenoid valve 195 alternate energization and de-energization of solenoid valve 194 will successively move the clamping rails 80 and toward and away from each other.

Upon de-energization of solenoid valve pressurized air is fed through its cross path 231 to port 224 Afor supply through conduit 112 to the back end of pneumatic cylinder 101, so as to thrust its piston rod 103 outwardly for again applying clamping force to the `rail driving mechanism to hold the rails in adjusted relative positions, and the opposite end of this cylinder is vented back through conduit 113, a portion of conduit 208 to port 209 and along cross path 232 to exhaust port 225. The back end of pneumatic cylinder 119 is simultaneously vented back through conduit 124 and this venting path also to exhaust port 225.

Thus, when the rail driving mechanism is clamped by the clamping devices 104-108 pressurized air is not supplied to either end of the pneumatic cylinder 87, so that there is no tendency to drive the rail moving mechanism in either direction while the clamp is applied, and vice versa. The clearance arm 116 is extended by pneumatic cylinder 119 only when pneumatic cylinder 87 causes the rails 80 and 180 to move transversely inward toward or 

